


The Minder

by Rakshi



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-02
Updated: 2011-12-02
Packaged: 2017-10-26 19:20:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rakshi/pseuds/Rakshi





	The Minder

Sean bounced on his toes, stopping every now and then to bang the heels of his hands together. He wheeled and stalked down the short hallway between the stage and the door that led to the dressing rooms.. then stalked back.

He stared at the stage, and sighed. There were 12 other presenters ahead of him, so it’d be awhile before he went on. ‘Why am I standing here?’ he asked himself, and immediately started bouncing again. Catching himself, he stopped and forced himself to focus on the proceedings on the stage. Slowly, without even realizing it, he began to bounce again.

He sighed, leaning toward the stage, straining to hear what was being said and almost jumped out of his skin when hand fell, unexpectedly, onto his arm.

“Jesus!” he yelped, wheeling.

Elijah was standing quietly beside him, his hand resting on Sean’s arm. “Come with me,” he said.

“Huh?”

“Come with me.”

Elijah pulled on Sean’s arm, tugging him toward the door.

“Where we going?” Sean asked. “What’s up? I didn’t think you’d be here.”

Elijah stood perfectly still. He leaned toward Sean until their faces were practically touching. His hand grasped Sean’s arm more tightly. “Come with me,” he said again. “Or don’t you trust me.”

He pulled, and Sean followed, still talking excitedly. “Of course I trust you. I was just asking, Lij. You startled me. I didn’t expect you.”

Elijah merely nodded and continued tugging gently on Sean’s arm. He pulled Sean through the door, down the hallway, then a left turn and down another hallway and through an open door.

Sean looked around. They were in a small, but nicely furnished office. The desk and chair were a dark, rich wood that glowed in the dim light. A couch, chair, sideboard, and table created a sitting area just to their left. Elijah led Sean to the couch and pushed him onto it.

Sean opened his mouth to speak, but Elijah’s finger pressed against his lips. “Shhhhh.” He walked to the sideboard and sat a small paper bag on top of it.

“What’s in the bag?”

“A ferret,” Elijah told him, moving the bag in front of him and opening it where Sean couldn’t see.”

Sean craned his neck trying to see around Elijah's back. He was fooling around with whatever he’d taken out of the bag. Sean lifted himself halfway off the couch and craned his neck again, but all he got was a view of Elijah’s back.

“What’re you doing?”

“Feeding the fucking ferret, Sean! Hang on a second and you’ll see.”

“Well, better than fudging the fucking badger,” Sean giggled. He banged his heels nervously on the floor and tried, again, to see what Elijah was doing. “Damn!” he muttered. He half rose, ready to walk to the sideboard, but fell back when he saw Elijah turn and move toward the couch holding a brandy snifter containing an amber liquid.

Elijah sat down and swiveled the snifter. The liqueur swirled lazily up the side of the glass and down again, leaving glowing brown trails of liquid clinging to the side of the glass. Sean was mesmerized by the richness of it’s color. He glanced up at Elijah.

“Cognac,” Elijah said, and took a small sip. “Only one snifter though. Mind sharing?”

Sean shook his head. “No. No, of course not, Lij.”

Elijah nodded. “First,” he said. “Take a deep breath.”

Sean’s eyebrows lowered into a look of puzzlement. “Elwood, what the hell are you up to?”

“Gonna kill you to take a deep breath for me?” Elijah asked him.

“No,” Sean replied softly. “It won’t kill me.” He inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, feeling his whole body relax as he did so.

Elijah watched him thoughtfully. “Again,” he instructed.

Sean smiled slowly and nodded. He repeated the deep breathing exercise. Long inhale through his nose, long exhale through his mouth, relaxing his body as he released the breath.

Elijah leaned toward him, his voice low. “Again.”

As Sean released the third breath, Elijah handed him the snifter. “OK,” he murmured. “Now have some brandy.”

Sean leaned back, relaxing into the couch and turned his head to gaze at his friend. “Who sent out the ‘Sean’s freaking’ alert?”

Elijah shrugged. “Does it matter?”

Sean sipped the brandy and gave a low hum of appreciation. “Good stuff! Damn! Is this theirs?” He gestured with his hand indicating the small office.

Elijah gave him an incredulous look and held out his hand for the snifter. “This is ‘Hennessy’, Sean. I brought it with me.”

Sean laughed softly and handed him the brandy. He lifted his arm invitingly, and when Elijah shifted on the couch to lean against him his arm dropped comfortably around Elijah’s shoulders. He accepted the snifter from Elijah’s hand and took another sip. The brandy seeped into his veins spreading it’s warmth. Soothing his nerves.

“OK,” Sean drawled. “What’s the deal here? Who called the 'Elijah police'?”

"Sip," Elijah urged, nodding toward the snifter in Sean's hand. "Take another sip."

"You want me to walk out there drunk?" Sean asked, grinning. "And don't change the subject, Elwood. Who called the 'Elijah police'?"

Elijah burrowed against Sean's side. "Mack called me. Said you'd rung him up on your cell and sounded a bit…," he glanced up at Sean. "… hyper. I happened to be in the neighborhood… sooooo…,” he shrugged. “Here I am.”

"Mmm," Sean droned. "Just ‘happened’ to be in the neighborhood, huh. Lugging a bottle of Cognac.” He shook his head and scowled. “I'll have a talk with my brother later."

Elijah pulled away from Sean and turned to face him. "Oh no, you won't," he said emphatically. "You won't say a word to Mack. He called me because he was worried about you. He deserves credit for that, not a bitching out."

The scowl on Sean's face changed slowly into a wry grin. "I guess." He pulled Elijah back against his body. "And you came. You came down here, Cognac in hand, to save me."

"Maybe," Elijah told him quietly.

"Save me from what?" Sean asked him. "What is it you're afraid I'll do?"

Elijah reached for the Cognac and sipped. He gazed up into Sean's eyes and slowly slid the backs of his fingers over Sean's face. "I didn't want you to walk out there and give a speech that would guarantee you'd spend all day tomorrow on the phone apologizing."

Sean nodded, silently.

"When you get too frenetic you sometimes speak before you think."

Sean nodded again, then took the snifter from Elijah and sipped the brandy thoughtfully, his head lowered, his eyes on the floor.

"I asked someone to come here and get you when it's your turn to present," Elijah told him. He ducked his head to peek up into Sean's eyes. "You mad with me?"

Sean's head rose and he shook it slowly. "No. God, babe, no. Mack was right to call you.” He was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I was pacing around out there. My nerves were shredded. I felt like a huge ball of tangled spaghetti. I could barely catch my breath. Ten million things flying through my mind and none of them good. Couldn’t focus on a damn thing." He turned to look into Elijah's eyes, a slow smile spreading over his face. "Then I hear your voice. I feel you close to me." Sean shook his head wonderingly. "Your very presence in the room."

Elijah grinned. "Yeah. Me and a few swallows of 300 year old Cognac!"

Sean leaned his forehead against Elijah's cheek. "It's not the Cognac," he whispered. "It's you."

Elijah smiled as Sean turned his head and kissed the fingers stroking his face.

"All that tangled spaghetti relaxes. I feel calm. I feel…," he stopped and seemed to search for a word. Then his eyes met Elijah's. "I feel at peace."

Elijah's hand cupped Sean's face and lifted it. For a long moment they looked into each other's eyes. When Elijah spoke his voice sang, warm and low, through Sean's spirit. "You ready?"

Sean nodded. "I am now. Stay with me 'til they come, Elijah? Please?"

Their lips brushed together, then Elijah leaned back slowly. "And afterward too, if you like."

Sean nodded. "I like," he whispered. "I like a lot."

Elijah nodded. Sean lifted the snifter to Elijah's lips and watched as he sipped. "Thank you,” Sean murmured.

Elijah’s shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "My turn is all."

"Your turn for what?" Sean whispered against his ear.

"To be the… minder."


End file.
